NEW CLUE: GREEN TEA AND CANCER PREVENTION [PART 2- BREAST CANCER]

Green Tea & Breast Cancer

Researchers  reported that an extract from green tea, Polyphenon E, may help inhibit breast cancer by affecting substances called growth factors. Growth factors are involved in the signals that tell breast cancer to grow.

In earlier research, Katherine Crew, MD, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, had assigned 40 women already treated for breast cancer to take 400, 600, or 800 milligrams of the extract or to take a placebo twice daily for six months.

That was a study to examine any toxic effects of the extract. For the current study, she evaluated blood and urine samples from 34 of the women to see how the extract might work as a cancer fighter.
"We wanted to better understand the biological effects," she says.
"After two months of Polyphenon E, there was a reduction in hepatocyte growth factor," she says. This is one of the growth factors that affect breast cancer cell growth, spread, and invasion. That reduction declined and was not different from the placebo group at four months, however.
It's still too early to recommend green tea extract as a way to prevent breast cancer, Crew says.

Green Tea & Breast Cancer: Perspective

The new research on green tea and breast cancer adds to growing evidence of its benefits, according to Joanne Mortimer, MD, director of the Women's Cancer Program at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"There really does seem to be something there," she says. The new study provides a potential explanation for why green tea may help, she says.
So should women drink green tea with an eye to prevention of breast cancer?
"I don't think we are quite ready to make that leap," Mortimer says. "But it is pretty interesting."
These findings were presented at a medical conference. They should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.

Source: WebMD

NEW CLUE: GREEN TEA AND CANCER PREVENTION [PART 1- PROSTATE CANCER]

  Green tea and its extracts have long been studied for health benefits, including cancer prevention.

Now, researchers have new clues about how it may work to help prevent or slow the growth of prostate and breast cancers.

Researchers presented the new findings at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting on cancer prevention on Oct. 18, 2012  (Anaheim, Calif.)

Green Tea and Prostate Cancer

Men with prostate cancer who drank green tea had less prostate tissue inflammation, linked to cancer growth, and other changes than those who didn't drink it, says Susanne M. Henning, PhD, RD, adjunct professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
''We were able to show the green tea polyphenols (antioxidants) reached the prostate tissue and they did modify inflammation of the prostate," she says. Polyphenols are antioxidants that protect against cell damage.
Henning's team assigned 79 men with prostate cancer scheduled to undergo surgery to drink either six cups of brewed green tea or water daily. They did so for three to eight weeks, depending on when their surgery was scheduled.
Before and after the study, Henning obtained urine and blood samples. She collected samples of prostate tissue after the surgery.
She reported on the 67 men who finished the study. Levels of prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, were lower after the study in those who drank green teas. Higher levels of PSA, a protein produced by the prostate gland, may reflect prostate cancer.
An indicator of inflammation, called nuclear factor-kappaB, was also reduced in those who drank green tea compared to those who didn't, Henning found. Inflammation is linked to cancer growth.
"We were not able to inhibit tumor growth," she says. But the study length may not have been long enough to show that; a longer-term study is needed, she says.
The National Institutes of Health funded the study.

Green Tea & Prostate Cancer: Implications

Prostate cancer is typically a slow-growing cancer, Henning says. That makes it an ideal cancer to try diet interventions to slow it even more.
"Green tea is high in polyphenols and it's convenient," she says.
Other research has found that green tea may slow prostate cancer. An Italian study found that men who had a precursor to prostate cancer and drank green tea were less likely to get prostate cancer, Henning says.
Now, Henning is studying whether adding quercetin, an antioxidant found in apples and onions, to the green tea will ramp up its cancer-fighting ability.
Sumanta Pal, MD, assistant professor of medical oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif., reviewed the study findings for WebMD.
"Studies such as this are critical to confirm or support a plausible explanation for how green tea may work," he says. More study is needed, however, before making any diet recommendations.
 These findings were presented at a medical conference. They should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.

Source: WebMD

GENERIC "LIPITOR" RECALL

Nov. 26, 2012 -- Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc., a major maker of generic Lipitor, has issued a massive recall of the cholesterol-cutting tablets, which may be contaminated with tiny glass shards.
The recall covers 41 lots of atorvastatin, the generic version of Lipitor. Each lot contains thousands of pills.
The recall includes 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg dosages. It does not include 80 mg atorvastatin tablets.
No injuries have been reported from the "small glass particles approximately less than 1 millimeter in size."
Ranbaxy says it is "proactively recalling the drug product lots out of an abundance of caution, and in keeping the safety of our customers in mind."
Ranbaxy, an Indian firm, is owned by Japan's Daiichi Sankyo Co. According to The Wall Street Journal, Ranbaxy's generic Lipitor makes up 44% of the U.S. market for atorvastatin, including generic and name-brand products.
Earlier this year, Ranbaxy entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department preventing the company from selling various generic drugs on the U.S. market until it addresses manufacturing and quality-control flaws at several plants. Those plants did not make the generic Lipitor now being recalled.
The FDA is working with other atorvastatin makers to prevent a shortage of the popular cholesterol-lowering pills.
"The FDA is currently working with the other manufacturers to address any potential shortage as a result of the ongoing recall. We are monitoring the situation," FDA spokeswoman Sarah Clark-Lynn says in an email.
A list of the recalled products, including lot and NDC numbers, is posted on the Ranbaxy web site.

Source:WebMD

SMOKERS HAVE PALER AND WRINKLED SKIN.

If the fact that smoking cigarette is burning a big hole in your health, happiness, and pocket doesn’t move you, maybe the fact that it’s also ruining your looks will. Though cigarettes are outright bad, starting with bad breath and finishing with such serious conditions as cancer and emphysema, one major factor generally ignored is that nicotine ages the skin prematurely. It is easy to pick out a regular smoker in a crowd not just by the stench of stale cigarettes but simply by skin quality as well. Smokers have pale, ashen skin and ten times more wrinkles than non-smokers. According to experts, the constant exposure to lit cigarettes and being surrounded by the toxic smoke can bring early onset of wrinkles. Negative impact of smoking on skin It has been proven that tobacco smoke is second only to sun exposure as the leading cause of skin damage. Cigarettes contain toxins such as carbon monoxide and tar that have an adverse impact on the body. Hence, the brain diverts the vitamins away from the skin to counter the problem. In addition, smoking interferes with the absorption of Vitamin C and A, which provide skin protection on a regular basis. Also, tobacco smoke produces free radicals that steal electrons from skin cells and damage them. Nicotine is a diuretic. This means that it absorbs liquids from the body and causes dehydration. Smoking also decreases the capillary blood flow to the surface of the skin, depriving it of the much needed oxygen and nutrients. As a result, skin becomes dry, thin, and has pale appearance. Smoking is known to reduce the amount of collagen and elastin in the skin. These proteins help to keep skin tight, soft, and elastic. Moreover, the pursing of lips and squinting to keep out smoke create unsightly face wrinkles around the mouth and eyes over time. Also, smokers develop more hollowed cheeks from many years of dragging on cigarettes. Although, it is quite impossible to bring skin to the pre-smoking condition, the damage caused to the skin can be arrested if you quit because the skin will start to repair itself. Other hazards of smoking Besides causing wrinkles, smoking cigarettes can cause yellow eyes and teeth and bad breath. On a more serious note it can lead to all kinds of health problems, including emphysema, lung cancer, bronchitis, pneumonia and many other illnesses. Male smokers have a higher risk of a low sperm count and erectile dysfunction, while female smokers may have a harder time getting pregnant. Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to experience ectopic pregnancies which can be fatal for both mom and baby. Other risks of smoking during pregnancy include lower birth weight and birth defects. Women who smoke during pregnancy are also more likely to deliver prematurely or miscarry. Source: Cigarettes smoking

IS YOUR WEIGHT LOSS SUPPLEMENT SAFE?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued consumer warnings for several weight loss supplements.

These products include Japan Hokkaido Slimming Weight Loss Pills, Beautiful Slim Body and Best Share Green Coffee: Brazilian Slimming Coffee.

All of the supplements contained the same substance, sibutramine. Sibutramine is an appetite suppressant drug that was withdrawn from the market in 2010. Thus, these products are considered unapproved drugs.

Sibutramine can raise blood pressure and heart rate, causing potential complications in individuals with heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias or stroke. Sibutramine may also interact adversely with prescription drugs.

The FDA advises consumers in possession of Japan Hokkaido Slimming Weight Loss Pills, Beautiful Slim Body or Best Share Green Coffee: Brazilian Slimming Coffee to discard them immediately and report any side effects to their healthcare provider